It doesn't work both ways at all. Lewis was at the end of his career facing the young No1 contender, Vitali had his shot and I'll bet those last two weeks trained his ass off. Are you suggesting Lewis would have trained the same for Vitali as he would Johnson?:deal
Fighters who train for 10 are just as fit as if they'd trained for 12. Especially when you're a young fit athlete like Vitali, come on now!!
Oh please, are you kidding me? It was specifically for Vitali, Lewis held a grudge against Vitali and hoped he could **** on Vitali from outside the ring after retiring. Lewis and his manager Ogun became the promoter and advisers of Corrie Sanders in Sanders bid to fight for the vacated WBC belt: http://www.boxing-monthly.co.uk/content/0403/one.htm Then Sanders lost and what what's Lennox' next best idea? Give advice to Danny Williams on "how to beat Vitali". What the hell is that all about? http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...determined-not-to-be-the-fall-guy-543982.html Like it or not, Lennox was rooting for Vitali's opponents just hoping Vitali would look bad.
In all honesty, probably even less. Vitali was (then) regarded as a slow, robotic Eastern European nobody with no heart and little if any boxing skills. Vitali has never faced any top opposition before and when he did he lost (against Byrd). Thanks to his characteristic cocky attitude, Lennox took Vitali lightly and naively bought into the "Vitali has no heart" theory.
You're not clued up are you? That article is about a call to Lewis regarding promoting Sanders.atsch "The very best aspect of the welcome news to me that Lennox Claudius Lewis was retiring as reigning heavyweight champion of the world was a phone call, just a few days later, from his influential boxing business manager, Adrian Ogun to tell me that Lennox was to be the American promoter of South African contender Corrie Sanders in a bid for the now vacant World Boxing Council title." THIS is when Lewis actually gave advice: "He even got a call from WBC Heavyweight Champion, Lennox Lewis, who advised Sanders to attack Klitschko aggressively, saying that Vladimir is afraid of being hit." http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...chko"+"night+before"&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk Finally, why would Lewis want Vitali to look bad NINE MONTHS after he retired:rofl:nut FFS you're hopeless!! Lewis would obviously want Vitali to do **** considering if he goes onto better things it reflects well on Lewis and would add to his legacy. Ever considered these two facts: Williams is British and Lewis is getting behind a fellow Brit. Sanders was his friend. Jesus, too easy.
Lewis's intensity in training would probably be the same regardless. The main difference being that Vitali got his shot, his hunger and drive would have trebled. Lewis however, been there, seen it, done it, no change. Is it any coincidence it's one of Vitalis greatest fights?
Quit like a warrior? Oh you mean the way Ali, Holyfield (Lewis could have been like this, think about it) and Hearns did? Yeah, fat lot of good that did them. Try getting your head punched for 25+ years in sparring and bouts and let me know how that turns out. Do you guys even notice Lewis was starting to sound slighlty punchy? No? Check the interviews as the years go by, check anything he's done recently. Lewis quit at the right time, gave us some great fights, he owes the fans nothing.
Wow my post got deleted; some forum! Anyway long story short: Morrison, Bruno, Botha, McCall, Rahman & Briggs would have all been battered by today's klits and most certainly by a prime Vitali. Tyson and Holyfield were far far past prime and again both Klits - today - would beat them at that stage of their careers. Lewis said he'd rematch Vitali. Lewis slagged off Wladimir and said he'd face him. Lewis held the belt for 11 (12?) months before retiring. While On HBo Lewis contiually discredits the Klitschkos. Lewis Also he did what he could to help at least two opponents who faced Vitali in order to make V look bad; and failed. Lewis was very very biter and to me that says insecurity and that tells me all I need to know in order to assess who felt who was the better man that night.
Exactly that's how it unfolded. Lewis pissed on his legacy by behaving like an unprofessional ***** after winning against Vitali. His post-fight conduct was just a disgraceful ending to an otherwise illustrious career.
Yeah, I'm sure not rematching Vitali knocked Lewis down a peg or two in his ATG standing. Speaking of unprofessional and post-fight conduct, what about Vitalis reaction at the end of the fight? I guess that gets a pass in your books huh? And how about addressing my last post.:deal
Have a word with yourself Wlad might beat Holyfield from the first Lewis fight (not the 2nd) - but the current version of Vitali gets whipped each time.